This week, our friend Matteo Bertoli (creator of Buttery LUTs) stopped by the studio to film with us. He has a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K, and the Films Jams crew had our ARRI Alexa Mini; so, we decided to film a little BMPCC 6K VS Alexa Mini comparison video. The results of this camera comparison were definitely not what we were expecting!
BMPCC 6K VS Alexa Mini: $2,000 VS $60,000 Camera?
So our camera test may seem a little unfair. A $2,000 camera versus a $60,000 camera? But with BRAW on the Blackmagic it can achieve some impressive results. Both cameras have a super 35 sensor, and both have EF mounts. We used the same lens – a Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 EF lens on each camera.
A couple key differences are that the Alexa Mini has 2x SDI outs on the body, and it also has built in ND filters. So we needed to use IRNDs on the Blackmagic 6k using an external matte box to match our exposures. The Alexa camera body is also more robust and suited for the rigors of being on set for months at a time under extreme conditions.
(As a patron of Film Jams, you’ll be able to download RAW Files from this, and other videos we post)
Blackmagic Pocket 6K VS ARRI Alexa: DYNAMIC RANGE TEST
The first test we filmed in the video is a comparison of dynamic range between the two cameras outside. We filmed in Crescent Lake Park near downtown St. Petersburg, FL
The dynamic range of the Blackmagic 6k is very close to the ARRI Alexa – much better than the BMPCC 4K vs Alexa Mini which we tested before. The Alexa still seemed to have a bit more details especially in the highlights straight out of camera, but with BRAW, we were able to bring back most of the detail in the highlights that you can see in the comparison video.
BMPCC6K VS Alexa: SLOW MOTION TEST 60p & 120 fps
Both of these cinema cameras shoot some very nice slow motion. The BMPCC 6K taps out at 50 fps in 6K, and the Alexa Mini is limited to 60 fps in 4K – so we filmed our test at 50 fps to match the speeds. The motion seemed a little smoother on the ARRI but both were still good.
The Alexa is able to film at higher frame rates going all the way up to 200 fps in 2K while the Blackmagic 6k camera can shoot 120 fps in 2.8K. So we filmed our test at 2K 120 fps on the Alexa, and 2.8K at 120 fps on the BMPCC 6K. Make sure to check out the video to see the results compared side-by-side.
BMPCC VS ARRI: COLOR TEST
For the color test we used two RGB lights with one setup on each side of our model. We used a Nanlite RGB light on the left side with a saturated Red color, and we setup a Kino Flo Diva LED 21 on the right side with a strong blue color. It’s interesting to see how the different cameras reacted to the colors, with the Alexa being a bit more natural, but the BMPCC 6K also looked good as well.
BMPCC 6K VS Alexa Mini: WRAP UP
After filming this camera test, our team was quite impressed with how the $2,000 BMPCC6K camera held up against the $50,000 ARRI Alexa Mini. Technology has really come a long way giving filmmakers some great choices. Cameras today can rival the industry standards like ARRI and Red in image quality. What do you think about the Blackmagic 6K? Let us know down in the comments below!
If you’d like to pickup any of the gear used in this video, make sure to check out our links below. We do earn a small commission if you buy through our affiliate links which helps keep the website running. Thank you!
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GEAR USED IN THIS VIDEO:
CAMERAS
–BMPCC 6K
(AMAZON) – https://amzn.to/2AlqqIj
(ADORAMA) – https://adorama.rfvk.net/JXZWQ
–Canon C200
(AMAZON) – https://amzn.to/2Xm83Ny (BTS CAMERA)
(ADORAMA) – https://adorama.rfvk.net/DonPb
–ARRI Alexa Mini
(RENTAL) https://litewavemedia.com/arri-alexa-mini-rental-tampa-fl/
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(As a patron of Film Jams, you’ll be able to download RAW Files from this, and other videos we post)
